Massachusetts Senate Votes

Chandler Amendment Protecting Theatre, Amendments to Casino Gambling Bill
This week's Northborough Patch politics includes a Chandler amendment that works to protect nonprofit theatre.

By Charlene Arsenault

Supplemental Budget: The Senate voted unanimously Thursday to pass a spending bill that allocates $153 million for state budget accounts and adds $350 million into the rainy day fund.


Expanded Gambling: The Senate continued debate on the expanded gambling bill yesterday. Amendments voted on by the Senate include:

- AMENDMENT 102, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY MITIGATION – This amendment, which was offered by Sen. Eldridge, would have raised the tax rate on casinos from 25 percent to 30 percent, and dedicated the extra funding to community mitigation. The amendment failed, 9-27. Sen. Eldridge voted YES.

- AMENDMENT 166 – CATEGORY 2 LICENSES: This would have removed the license for a slot parlor in the casino bill. The amendment failed, 12-24. Sen. Eldridge voted YES.

- AMENDMENT 37 – JOBS INCENTIVE TAX CREDIT: This amendment would create a tax credit for employers who have a net increase in jobs created over the course of a calendar year. Such employers are thus entitled to a deduction in liability otherwise imposed by Chapter 62B, Section 2. To defray the potential cost of the tax revenue not collected by the state, 10 percent of category 1 gaming revenue currently slated to be spent by the Economic Development Fund would be deposited in the General Fund. This amendment failed, 4-32. Sen. Eldridge voted NO.

- AMENDMENT 40 – STABILIZATION FUND: This amendment would delay the transfer of state revenues from category 1 gaming to the various funds provided for in Section 59. Rather than transfer the revenue to the funds immediately, as the bill does, this amendment provides that the funds go into the Stabilization Fund (Rainy Day Fund) until all 4 of the gaming establishments have been in operation for 5 years. This amendment failed, 4-32. Senator Eldridge voted NO.

- AMENDMENT 87 – SALES TAX REDUCTION: The bill as being considered provides that a combined 12 percent of the state revenues from category 1 licenses shall be transferred to a newly created Economic Development Fund and the newly created Local Capital Projects Fund. That money instead will be placed in the General Fund, and used to help ensure revenue neutrality when reducing the state sales tax, currently at 6.25 percent, to 5 percent. This reduction will take place in a two-step process, with the first reduction cutting the sales tax to 5.625 percent, and then another reduction to 5 percent. This amendment failed, 9-27. Sen. Eldridge voted NO.

Theatre Bill: Sen. Harriette L. Chandler, D-Worcester, joined Sen. Michael O. Moore, D-Millbury, sponsored an amendment that was adopted by the Senate that is gaming legislation that ensures casino licensees must negotiate with a coalition of municipally-owned or not-for-profit performance venues located in the state to discuss and negotiate mitigation agreements.

Theaters such as the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts have expressed concern that resort casinos would provide unfair competition and "hinder their ability to recruit plays and performers."

“Resort casinos, with their ability to essentially use their entertainment venues as 'loss leaders,' said Chandler, "would potentially be able to negotiate exclusive arrangements with certain acts, preventing them from performing at our non-profit theaters. This amendment gives the theaters a voice at the table and requires the gaming commission ensure the resort casinos are operating in good faith.” said Chandler.

At the urging of Senators Chandler and Moore and many of their colleagues the bill already contains cultural mitigation funding for theaters, as well as seat restrictions on resort casinos in order to ensure a fair and competitive marketplace. The bipartisan amendment was cosponsored by Democratic Senators Harriette L. Chandler, Michael O. Moore, Eileen M. Donoghue, Daniel A. Wolf, Gale D. Candaras, Sal D. DiDimenico and Republican Leader Bruce E. Tarr and Asst. Minority Leader Robert L. Hedlund.